From time to time I am asked to do a translation wherein there are certain English idioms used that really don't make any sense at all. The translator is no help, because it tends to translate word for word. Even simple things like "How do you do" don't make sense in Spanish. The first time I heard that I thought "How do I do what?" Similarly Spanish expressions like "llevarle gallo a uno" don't mean "to carry a rooster to someone", but rather "to serenade" someone.
The times when I have to translate English to Spanish these things come up and I have to "rack my brain" (now that's a great one-"devanarse los sesos") to come up with something that makes sense in Spanish or think of an equivalent Spanish idiom.
There must be a good source of these idiomatic expressions that someone here knows about. Thanks for your help.